Paramount has set the debut date for the World War Z sequel, with a mid-summer 2017 release targeted, rather than a 2016 bow. Specifically, the film is set for the same date on which Fox has already planted a flag for Fantastic Four 2. So which one will move? We’ll talk about that below, and give you news of the counter-programming strategy Universal has devised to compete with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Read More »

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One of the biggest movie surprises of 2013 was the success of World War Z. The film hit theaters carrying some significant behind the scenes baggage, but ended up grossing over $200 million in the US and over $500 million internationally. It was a massive hit and talk of a sequel began to heat up soon after the film’s release. Not much happened on that front during 2014 but now, we finally have a small update on World War Z 2, scheduled to be directed by Juan Antonio Bayona for a 2016 release.

Steven Knight, the writer and director of Locke, and writer of Eastern Promises, The Hundred-Foot Journey, Dirty Pretty Things and Seventh Son, is writing a treatment for the sequel. He suggested the film wouldn’t be what fans are expecting. He said he’s starting with a “clean slate.” Read more about World War Z 2 below. Read More »

The sequel to 2013’s surprise hit World War Zjust found another important building block. A few months back, director Juan Antonio Bayona was tapped to direct the film and now Oscar-nominated screenwriter Steven Knight has been hired to write the screenplay. Read More »

Last December, Juan Antonio Bayona booked his highest-profile gig yet: the sequel to World War Z. But before he gets around to directing zombies, he’ll first be reckoning with tree monsters.

The Spanish filmmaker has signed on to direct A Monster Calls, a Black List script written by Patrick Ness based on his own acclaimed novel. The premise suggests a potent combination of fantasy, horror, and drama a la Pan’s Labyrinth — and what do you know, Pan’s Labyrinth producer Belen Atienza is on board as well. Hit the jump for plot details and more.

Briefly:Brad Pitt is back to produce and star in the sequel to World War Z, but this one will have a new director as Marc Forster will not return. Juan Antonio Bayona (aka J.A. Bayona), who made The Impossible and The Orphanage, will direct the sequel. While there are arguments to be had over The Impossible, the disaster sequence in that film alone suggests that Bayona will be right at home with the big sequences in this film.

No one is set to write yet, and we don’t know how the plot of this sequel will jump off from the Wales-set finale of the first film, but Bayona will work with the writer to shape the script. (Which will hopefully be properly finished before cameras roll this time, to prevent some of that third-act scrambling that cost the first production so much time and money.)

Unusually for a tentpole release, Paramount has not yet set a release date, but expect that to happen soon. 2015 anyone? And this one has got to get a subtitle rather than a number, as World War Z 2 looks a bit like World War Zzz, and no studio wants to suggest we should snooze through the sequel. [THR]

Despite World War Z being one of 2013’s biggest surprise hits, the road to get there was very bumpy. Years of development preceded a difficult production, and during post-production, a whole new ending was written and shot. That raised questions and concerns about the film, most of which were directed at one man: director Marc Forster. It was probably more than any one person should have to handle.

World War Z was the surprise blockbuster of the summer. It was a surprise because Marc Forster‘s adaptation of the Max Brooks novel had been in development for years. Then, once it started filming, the real problems began. Producers realized the ending didn’t work, so a new was written and shot, which ended up costing millions. The gamble paid off to the tune of $536 million internationally and counting.

The new ending had more closure than the original one, but also left a world of possibility ahead. And $500 million plus makes it pretty obvious that possibility will be explored in a sequel. But when? Brad Pitt was at the Toronto Film Festival and spoke about the status of a potential World War Z sequel. Read More »

Over the past few weeks, Brad Pitt has been cautiously optimistic about a potential sequel to his new zombie film, World War Z. He knows there’s more story to tell and more parts of Max Brooks’ novel to explore, but he was unsure about how the public would embrace the film.

Well, after a $112 million opening weekend ($66 million in the US and $46 million international), which is also the biggest of Pitt’s career, Paramount has decided to move forward on a sequel to World War Z. Read More »

It took Paramount years to get the zombie apocalypse thriller World War Z off the ground, but now that the production is actually up and running, it seems the studio is very eager to keep moving forward with the property. The studio and director Marc Forster reportedly have their fingers crossed that the upcoming film will become the first in a trilogy, all with star Brad Pitt at this center.

Considering how sequel-crazy studios are nowadays, and how hot zombies are at the moment, this isn’t much of a shocker. What’s a little more surprising is that if this plan works out, it’ll be Pitt’s first time leading a major franchise of his own. Yup, Pitt’s somehow managed to build up a two-decade, A-list career without a single Mission: Impossible or Marvel superhero series under his belt. More details on the possible film series after the jump.